Archeological
discoveries around the northeast hamlet of Ban Chiang suggests that
the world's oldest Bronze Age civilization had flourished in
Thailand some 5,600 years ago.
Successive waves of immigrants, including Mons, Khmers, and Tais
gradually entered the land mass known then as Siam, most of whom
traveled slowly along fertile river valleys from Southern China. By
the 11th and 12th Century, Khmers ruled much of the area from
Angkor.
By the early 1200s, the Tais had established small northern city
states in Lanna, Phayao, and Sukhothai. In 1238, two Tai chieftains
rebelled against Khmer suzerainty and established the fully
independent Thai kingdom in Sukhothai (literally, 'Dawn of
Happiness').
Sukhothai saw the Thais gradual expansion throughout the entire Chao
Phraya River basin, the establishment of Theravada Buddhism as the
paramount Thai religion, the creation of the Thai alphabet, and the
first expression of nascent Thai art forms, including painting,
sculpture, architecture, and literature.
Sukhothai declined during the 1300s and eventually became a vassal
state of Ayutthaya, a dynamic young kingdom further south in the
Chao Phraya River valley. Founded in 1350, Ayutthaya remained the
Thai capital until 1767 when it was destroyed by Burmese invaders.
During Ayutthaya's 417 years as the capital under the rule of 33
kings, the Thais brought their distinctive culture to full fruition,
totally rid their lands of Khmer presence, and fostered contact with
Arabian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and European powers.
Ayutthaya's destruction was as severe a blow to the Thais as the
loss of Paris or London would have been to the French or English.
However, a Thai revival occurred within a few months and the Burmese
were expelled by King Taksin, who later made Thon Buri his capital.
In 1782, the first king of the present Chakri Dynasty, Rama I,
established his new capital on the site of a riverside hamlet called
Bangkok (Village of Wild Plums).
Two Chakri monarchs, Mongkut (Rama IV) who reigned between 1851 -
1868, and his son Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868 -1910) saved Thailand
from western colonization through adroit diplomacy and selective
modernization.
Today, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. Since 1932, Thai
kings, including the present monarch, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej,
have exercised their legislative powers through the national
assembly, their executive powers through a cabinet headed by the
Prime Minister, and their judicial powers through the courts of law. |
Thailand
